Just say “G’day” to Yellow Tail
Greg Henderson, editor Drovers
| Monday, February 08, 2010
The next time you hoist a glass of your favorite wine you could be contributing to a group that seeks to prevent your ability to earn a living. That is, if your favorite wine is Yellow Tail.
The Humane Society of the United States has announced that they will receive a $100,000 donation from a campaign they call “tails for tails.” Specifically, HSUS says, “Through ‘tails for tails,’ Yellow Tail is donating $100,000 to support us and our programs to help animals, including our Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest.” Through the end of March, consumers will see special Yellow Tail displays bearing the HSUS name and logo in stores across the country.
Yellow Tail is an extremely successful brand of wine produced by Casella Wines Pty Ltd., based in Yenda, Australia. Yellow Tail was developed about 10 years ago, and became the number one wine imported to the U.S. by 2003, with sales of around 4 million cases annually. Sales have nearly doubled since, and wine industry analysts say Yellow Tail now accounts for almost half the Australian wine purchased in the U.S. According to the company’s website, over 2 million glasses of Yellow Tail are consumed around the world daily.
Yellow Tail’s popularity comes from a masterful marketing program. The bottles have a colorful label the feature the Australian wallaby, an animal similar to, but smaller than a kangaroo. The packaging combined with decent quality and low price – about $7 per bottle – combined to help sales skyrocket.
Now, Yellow Tail is seeking another sales boost through its joint campaign with HSUS. After all, a $100,000 donation would provide a significant promotional value if consumers believe their wine purchases are helping animals.
Livestock producers, however, know HSUS represents much more than just an organization that supports the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest. It’s the organization that has launched campaigns in numerous states to enact unwieldy animal welfare laws that can and have driven livestock producers out of business.
For an update on the funding venture, go to "Yellow Tail Gets a Sour Taste."
